Keeper for socket wrenches

ABSTRACT

A keeper accessory for use on 12-point socket wrenches to hold a hex fastener captive without need for retainers or modification of a conventional wrench. The accessory is selectively usable with cylinder and box type wrenches and comprises at least one end ringlet preferably supporting two or more parallel legs shaped to lie along a respective point of a wrench with its radially opposed surfaces disposed to frictionally engage a hex face of a fastener and the juxtaposed point areas of the wrench thereby to grip and hold the fastener captive.

United States Patent [191 Carr [ 1 Sept. 10, 1974 KEEPER FOR SOCKETWRENCHES [76] Inventor: Harry A. Carr, 2934 El Caminito,

La Crescenta, Calif. 91214 [22] Filed: June 8, 1972 [21] Appl. No.:260,909

[52] US. Cl. 8l/125 [51] Int. Cl B25b 23/08 [58] Field of Search 81/125,180 R, 64, 3.43

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,368,902 2/1945 Thompson81/125 2,956,462 10/1960 Pau1 81/125 3,473,423 l/l969 Peck 81/64 FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,194,107 11/1959 France ..8l/125 PrimaryExaminer-Al Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner.lames G. Smith Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Sellers and Brace [57] ABSTRACT A keeper accessory foruse on 12-point socket wrenches to hold a hex fastener captive withoutneed for retainers or modification of a conventional wrench. Theaccessory is selectively usable with cylinder and box type wrenches andcomprises at least one end ringlet preferably supporting two or moreparallel legs shaped to lie along a respective point of a wrench withits radially opposed surfaces disposed to frictionally engage a hex faceof a fastener and the juxtaposed point areas of the wrench thereby togrip and hold the fastener captive.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures KEEPER FOR SOCKET WRENCHES This inventionrelates to accessories for wrenches, and more particularly to animproved keeper accessory formed in one piece from non-metallic materialand selectively installable in either a box or cylinder type socketwrench with portions thereof gripping the one or more faces of a hexfastener part.

This application is related to my copending application for U5. LettersPat. Ser. No. 187,684, filed Oct. 8, 1971, but embodies certainstructural and functional advantages over that construction. As in myearlier design, the present invention is specially suitable for use withl2 point socket wrenches and is preferably molded in one piece fromsuitable resilient elastomeric material, such as polyethylene or any ofnumerous plastic compositions having similar characteristics. The onepiece accessory is formed with at least one and preferably two end ringslying parallel to one another and interconnected by at least one andpreferably a plurality of leg members shaped and sized to fit within arespective point of a socket wrench with the inner face thereof disposedto frictionally engage the hex face of a fastener inserted into thewrench. In an illustrative embodiment of the invention the accessory isprovided with six equidistantly spaced legs suitably disposed to occupya hexagonally related set of wrench points leaving the remaining set ofpoints available to seat a hex fastener part. The end rings arepreferably spaced apart sufficiently to rest against the opposite end ofa box type socket wrench and one of the rings is sufficiently flexibleto permit its insertion into the well of a cylinder type socket wrenchwith the other ring lying flush against the entrance end of thecylinder. The accessory is installed and removed as quickly and aseasily as a fastener itself without interfering with the use of the toolwith the particular fastener size for which it was designed whilegreatly increasing the efficiency and utility of the wrench.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to providea new and improved inexpensive keeper accessory selectively usable witheither box or cylinder type 12 point socket wrenches.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a one piece keeperaccessory of resilient non-metallic molded stock adapted to be retainedassembled by an interference fit with a socket wrench and readilyinstallable and removable therefrom.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a hexagonal fastenerkeeper accessory for use with socket wrenches and usable interchangeablywith box and cylinder type wrenches.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading thefollowing specification and claims and upon considering in connectiontherewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing anillustrative embodiment of the keeper accessory in use on a typical 12point box wrench;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line 22 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing the keeper accessory assembledto a typical 12 point cylinder type socket wrench;

FIG. 4 is a bottom end view of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the keeper accessory per se.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, there is shown an illustrative embodiment ofthe invention keeper accessory designated generally 10. As therein shownthe keeper accessory is molded from suitable soft resilient elastomericstock including rubber or a soft plastic composition. The keeper ispreferably provided with a pair of end rings or ringlets 11,12interconnected by at least one and preferably by a hexagonally-relatedset of radial legs or ribs 13 as is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Legs 13have flat exterior faces 14,14 interconnected between their remote edgesby an inwardly bulging surface 15 adapted to have an interference fitwith the face of a hex nut or bolt head 18.

Ringlet 11 at one end of the keeper accessory is provided with alow-height radial flange 20 adapted to engage over the end face 21 of abox wrench head 22. However, flange 20 is not sufficiently long tointerfere with the assembly of accessory 10 into one end of acylindrical 12 point socket 25. The ringlet 12 at the other end of theaccessory has a somewhat wider radial flange 26 seatable against theother end of a box wrench head or against the outer end of a cylindricalsocket head. It will be understood that the device is used with a 12point socket wrench of either the box type or the cylinder type in orderthat one set of hex points can be usedto accommodate legs 13 while theother set of hex points is available to seat a fastener. The innersurface of a ringlet 26 is preferably of hexagonal shape as indicated at29 in FIGS. 2 and 4.

In use, accessory 10 is inserted into the 12 point opening of either abox wrench 30 or one end of a cylinder type socket head 25. Whenassembling the accessory to a box wrench the ringlets 11,12 seat flushagainst the opposite end faces of the wrench head. However, in the caseof the cylinder socket, ringlet 11 is deformed slightly as it is pressedinto the socket. In either case the faces of the hex fastener part, suchas bolt head 32, have an interference press fit with the inwardlybulging portions 15,15 of legs 13. The bulging faces are flattenedsomewhat as the outwardly facing surfaces 14,14 are pressed into a snuginterference fit with the point areas of the wrench head. Because of themuch greater surface contact between the points and the surfaces 14,14than between surfaces 15 and the hex faces of the fastener, it will bereadily apparent that the keeper displays no tendency to becomedisassembled during removal of the wrench from the fastener part.However, once the fastener is removed from the accessory the latter maybe readily and expeditiously withdrawn by collapsing the same inwardly.The accessory may then be transferred to a different wrench if sodesired.

While the particular keeper for socket wrenches herein shown anddisclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects andproviding the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understoodthat it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention and that no limitations are intended to the detail ofconstruction or design herein shown other than as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A keeper adapted to be inserted axially of a 12 point wrench socketwith the major portion of the axial length thereof located between theopposite ends of the 12-point portion of the wrench socket and effectiveto frictionally grip a hex fastener and retain the same captive againstunintended dislodgement from the wrench socket, said keeper comprisingfirst and second ringlets of molded resilient elastomeric materialinterconnected by a plurality of elongated elastomeric keeper ribsextending axially therebetween and positioned for axial assembly into al2 point wrench socket with said ringlets positioned adjacent arespective end of the 12- point portion of said wrench socket and with arespective one of said keeper ribs lying closely along and between theopposite ends of respective points other than one hexagonally relatedset thereof, said ribs being effective as said elastomeric ribs arecompressed against the adjacent ones of the wrench points to grip thejuxtaposed face of a hex fastener and hold the same firmly butreleasably captive, and said ringlets lying in parallel planes andspaced sufficient distances apart to lie generally flush against therespective ends of a box type socket wrench and to cooperate therewithto hold said keeper assembled thereon and against unintended accidentaldisplacement.

2. A keeper as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the inner rimedge of said first ringlet is generally hexagonal.

3. A keeper as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the innerperiphery of said first ringlet is of hexagonal shape but slightlylarger than the periphery of a hexagonal fastener part adapted to begripped by the ribs of said keeper when said keeper is installed in a 12point wrench socket.

4. A keeper as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the same is aone-piece unit having a snug interference fit with a wrench socket andshaped to be slightly deformed as a hex shaped fastener component istelescoped thereinto while said keeper is assembled to a wrench socket.

5. A keeper as defined in claim 4 characterized in having six ribsequally spaced from one another and adapted to lie within sixhexagonally related set of points of a 12 point socket wrench.

6. A keeper as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said keeper isselectively installable in a 12 point box wrench and a 12 point cylindertype socket wrench. I

7. A keeper selectively installable without fasteners in a 12 point boxwrench or a cylinder type socket wrench comprising: a one-piecenon-metallic resilient member having a pair of thin end'ringsinterconnected by a plurality of spaced apart parallel ribs sized andshaped to lie along and between the opposite ends of one hexagonal setof the wrench points with their inwardly facing sides positioned to havea snug frictional fit with the adjacent face of a hex fastener part asthe same is inserted endwise from one axial end of said keeper, and saidkeeper rings being spaced to overlie and abut a respective rim edge of abox wrench, and one of said rings being readily deformable to permit thesame to be inserted from one end of a cylinder type socket wrench.

8. A keeper as defined in claim 7 characterized in that one of saidrings is substantially radially wider than the other, and the other ofsaid rings being relatively narrow radially thereof and adapted todeform easily to permit the same to be inserted through the openfastener-seating end of a cylinder type socket wrench.

9. A keeper as defined in claim 7 characterized in that the outwardlyfacing surfaces of said ribs are shaped complementally to the juxtaposedsurfaces of a point portion of a socket wrench, and the inwardly facingside of said ribs being bowed crosswise thereof and positioned to have asnug frictional fit against a hex surface of a fastener part when thepart is installed therein.

1. A keeper adapted to be inserted axially of a 12 point wrench socketwith the major portion of the axial length thereof located between theopposite ends of the 12-point portion of the wrench socket and effectiveto frictionally grip a hex fastener and retain the same captive againstunintended dislodgement from the wrench socket, said keeper comprisingfirst and second ringlets of molded resilient elastomeric materialinterconnected by a plurality of elongated elastomeric keeper ribsextending axially therebetween and positioned for axial assembly into a12 point wrench socket with said ringlets positioned adjacent arespective end of the 12-point portion of said wrench socket and with arespective one of said keeper ribs lying closely along and between theopposite ends of respective points other than one hexagonally relatedset thereof, said ribs being effective as said elastomeric ribs arecompressed against the adjacent ones of the wrench points to grip thejuxtaposed face of a hex fastener and hold the same firmly butreleasably captive, and said ringlets lying in parallel planes andspaced sufficient distances apart to lie generally flush against therespective ends of a box type socket wrench and to cooperate therewithto hold said keeper assembled thereon and against unintended accidentaldisplacement.
 2. A keeper as defined in claim 1 characterized in thatthe inner rim edge of said first ringlet is generally hexagonal.
 3. Akeeper as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the inner peripheryof said first ringlet is of hexagonal shape but slightly larger than theperiphery of a hexagonal fastener part adapted to be gripped by the ribsof said keeper when said keeper is installed in a 12 point wrenchsocket.
 4. A keeper as defined in claim 1 characterized in that the sameis a one-piece unit having a snug interference fit with a wrench socketand shaped to be slightly deformed as a hex shaped fastener component istelescoped thereinto while said keeper is assembled to a wrench socket.5. A keeper as defined in claim 4 characterized in having six ribsequally spaced from one another and adapted to lie within sixhexagonally related set of points of a 12 point socket wrench.
 6. Akeeper as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said keeper isselectively installable in a 12 point box wrench and a 12 point cylindertype socket wrench.
 7. A keeper selectively installable withoutfasteners in a 12 point box wrench or a cylinder type socket wrenchcomprising: a one-piece non-metallic resilient member having a pair ofthin end rings interconnected by a plurality of spaced apart parallelribs sized and shaped to lie along and between the opposite ends of onehexagonal set of the wrench points with their inwardly facing sidespositioned to have a snug frictional fit with the adjacent face of a hexfastener part as the same is inserted endwise from one axial end of saidkeeper, and said keeper rings being spaced to overlie and abut arespective rim edge of a box wrench, and one of said rings being readilydeformable to permit the same to be inserted from one end of a cylindertype socket wrench.
 8. A keeper as defined in claim 7 characterized inthat one of said rings is substantially radially wider than the other,and the other of said rings being relatively narrow radially thereof andadapted to deform easily to permit the same to be inserted through theopen fastener-seating end of a cylinder type socket wrench.
 9. A keeperas defined in claim 7 characterized in that the outwardly facingsurfaces of said ribs are shaped complementally to the juxtaposedsurfaces of a point portion of a socket wrench, and the inwardly facingside of said ribs being bowed crosswise thereof and positioned to have asnug frictional fit against a hex surface of a fastener part when thepart is installed therein.